Bend, Baby, Bend
by makos-lightningrod
Summary: Korra is left alone with Rohan.


It all happened so quickly that Korra had no time to process what she had said yes to. She was standing there, looking down at the small bundle on the table.

Pema and Tenzin had decided to go to out for a night to themselves and Jinora had offered to take Ikki and Meelo out to the sky bison caves to see the new babies. To make things easier for Pema and Tenzin, Korra had answered a most definite when they were hesitant to leave Rohan with Jinora.

So she stood there awkwardly, staring down at him. She'd taken care of babies a lot when she was in the South Pole, but that was only when they were delivered. Otherwise, she was pretty clueless.

"Okay-" She picked him up and exhaled softly, watching him sleep. "-you're asleep. So that should be okay. You'll sleep the entire night through. Yes, yes!"

It was short-lived. After a half an hour, Korra heard the gurgling of an awakened baby and looked over the back of the couch at him. She lifted him up and held him out from her, not wanting to squish him.

And then he started crying.

"Oh no! No, Rohan, please. Are you hungry?" She went to the kitchen and reached found a bottle. She heated it up with a small burst of heat in her palm and held the nipple to his mouth, but he fought, pushing it away with loud protests. "Come on, you just napped. You have to be hungry. I'd be hungry. It's good! See-" Korra stuck it in her mouth and took a swig before her face blanched.

She gasped and spit it out in the sink, taking some water and sloshing it in her mouth. "-Okay. Maybe…Maybe it's not that great. But you love this stuff!"

Rohan would obviously not listen to reason.

"Do you want to fly baby?" Korra let him go and pushed him up with her airbending. The blanket fell from around him and his face scrunched up, his mouth trembling. "You don't like airbending, do you? Maybe you_are_ a nonbender," she said dryly as she caught him deftly in her arms.

"I don't know what you waaaaaaaaaaant," she whined, looking so defeated already.

An hour later, Korra was splayed out on the sofa with a crying Rohan, exhausted. Taking care of a baby was harder than she thought. She'd cried herself, not being able to distinguish between the anguish of her cries and the ones of Rohan.

There came a knock at the door.

She hurried over with Rohan in her arm and opened it. Her eyes lit up when she saw Mako standing there. "Thank the spirits!" She exclaimed, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside. "You need to help me!"

"Woah. I thought I'd come over here to see if you wanted to go out to eat, but I can see you're…babysitting," he said dryly, looking at the redfaced baby. "And you look like you're about to combust," he teased her before frowning. "Has he been crying for a while?"

"Yes," she said with a pout.

"Give him here," he said softly as he took Rohan from her arm and rocked him. "What's wrong, big fella? You hungry?"

"No way. I tried to feed him, but he wouldn't take it from me." Mako gave her a look and she turned bright red. "I mean…Pema has bottles made already!"

"Well…let's see. Has he slept?" He moved over to the sofa and placed him down on one of the cushions, tugging his shirt up to tickle his stomach.

Korra nodded. "For a few hours."

"Well, there's only one answer now," he smiled, tugging his pants off and undoing the diaper. Korra paled. "Whew. You haven't had your diaper changed in a while, have you?" He looked around and saw some in the other room. "Can you get those for me?"

She quickly got up and hurried into the baby's room, coming out with at least five. Mako laughed. "He's not going to go that much…" He took one and started to clean Rohan's bottom before pulling a fresh one on. Immediately, Rohan quieted down and looked so happy.

Korra thought she would start sobbing.

"You look really bad," said Mako as he touched her cheek. "And like you need a break." He thought for a moment and smiled. "How about I makeyoudinner? Have you eaten?"

She shook her head silently and let her head fall onto his shoulder. "Dinner would be wonderful."

"Good. How about…you just take a break and I'll take care of this little guy for a little bit?" Mako stood up and ran his hand through his hair. "Let's see what we can make." He left her in the living room and went into the kitchen where he balanced Rohan in his arm and prepare a meal with the other.

Korra had fallen asleep and by the time Mako was finished, he went to tell her dinner was ready. He smiled faintly at the sight and then looked at Rohan. "Look at her, Rohan. She has no idea the way she looks when she sleeps. And she wants me," he said quietly, sitting on the table and brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm pretty lucky, huh?"

Rohan gurgled.

Her eyes fluttered open before meeting his. "Hey," she whispered, rubbing her eyes. "You finished?" She smiled, licking her lips.

"Yeah. Come on," he told her before the three of them made their way into the dining room.

Her mouth watered as she looked at the noodles, fried to perfection. "Did I tell you that I love you?" She croaked, looking at him with her big eyes.

"You could mention it some more," he smiled, sitting down with her and sitting Rohan on his lap. "Here you go," he said, putting one of the warm bottles in his mouth to suckle.

He watched in amusement as she started to snarf down her dinner as if she hadn't eaten in months. "Slow down. You'll get a stomachache if you don't."

"This is too good not to eat fast!" She exclaimed as she helped herself to a second plate.

Rohan giggled softly as Mako made a face at him and Korra couldn't help but ask. "Why are you so good with him?"

"When my parents needed some extra help, I'd always watch Bolin. When he was a few months, he was always crying and I couldn't help but…I couldn't help but want to make him feel better. I guess I got better at it myself." Mako looked over at her.

"Well, if you're this way with Rohan, I can't wait to see what you'll be like with our kids," she said wthout thinking as she started slurping her noodles.

He stared at her. "You wanna have kids with me?" His mouth twitched into a smile.

Her eyes widened. "W-Well, not now! I-I mean-" She turned bright red. "I-If we ever…y-you know…r-reach that p-p-point in our lives where we want to get married and start a f-family, then…then…ye-yes! That's what I'm saying." She stared at him and then ducked down. "Stop looking at me."

Mako smiled faintly. "I'd like that."

She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Me too."


End file.
